Which car would you keep?

[taubel]

We own a 2002 VW Passat, basic model, paid off years ago. It has just over 80K miles, runs fine, etc. My in-laws want to "give" us their 2005 Toyota Corolla with about 50K miles. (FIL has given up driving, and MIL doesn't drive at all). 

Which car should we keep and which should we sell? 

The Toyota is worth more, since it's newer and has less miles. I think Toyota has a better track record than VW as far as repairs, etc.

However, the VW is a larger vehicle (slightly) and has more safety features. When possible, I prefer to drive a mid-sized car because I feel it will fare better in a crash.

My in-laws don't care if we keep or sell the car. 

We also have a minivan, which is the main vehicle the kids ride in. DH and I use the second car mainly for commuting to and from work. 

Which would you keep and why? Thanks!

[Momsteader]

If it's mainly for commuting, I'd keep the care with the higher gas mileage. I'd also consider the car with the lower mileage again if it's mainly for commuting.

[taubel]

Originally Posted by CrunchyClark 

If it's mainly for commuting, I'd keep the care with the higher gas mileage. I'd also consider the car with the lower mileage again if it's mainly for commuting.

I have no idea which one gets better gas mileage. I would guess the Toyota, since it's slightly smaller and probably weighs less. And I should have mentioned, that it's more of a drive than a commute. My job is about 13 miles away. DH is around 9 or 10, I think. We only put about 8K miles on our cars per year.

[SundayCrepes]

I'd drive them both for a month or so and see which works better for you. Then make your decision based on experience and not conjecture. 

[treegardner]

Originally Posted by SundayCrepes 

I'd drive them both for a month or so and see which works better for you. Then make your decision based on experience and not conjecture. 

Great idea!

 

[K1329]

I'd keep the Toyota. Less of a possibility of having to replace it anytime soon since it is the newer vehicle. And, better gas mileage and higher resale value. That said, if your dh is the primary driver, I'd let him decide. We have a corolla, and, dh hates driving it because it is so small.

[lilyka]

i would put a for sale sign on both with a higher price and  see which one sells.

[nd_deadhead]

This is a nice problem to have!

I think that you should keep whichever vehicle you like the best. My sons started driving this year, and I bought a newer (2006) Jeep, so they could drive my old (1996) Jeep. A actually like driving the old one better, maybe because I've been driving it for 13 years and I'm so used to it. The new one is fine, just different. We also have a van - currently a Toyota Sienna, which I love, love, love. Our previous van was a Chrysler Town and Country, and I never liked that vehicle - not fo reasons that I could really pinpoint, but lots of little things (like the driver's seat didn't fit me at all, unless I had a pillow at my lower back. Luckily DH drove it the most). We traded it in on the Toyota sooner than we should have - we didn't get much on the trade-in - but I don't regret the decision for aminute, because I like the new one so much better (even now, 2 years later).

You can run the numbers, to see if there is a significant cost difference between the two. Look at insurance, gas, repairs, tires - some of these things are easier to calculate than others. If you have a mechanic that you trust, get his opinion. If there is a large price difference, that might influence your decision; even if there is a big difference, and you like the more expensive car a lot more than the less expensive, you might decide it's worth it - especially if it meant you would be tempted to change vehicles sooner.

[OkiMom]

I would drive both for a bit and keep the one Im most comfortable driving.

[taubel]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! The Corolla seems to drive great. I don't feel quite as safe as I do in the Passat, but they're really not that different in size. We're going to keep the Corolla, since it's 3 years newer. That will give us an extra 3 years before we have to buy another car.